Tracing the in vivo distribution and dynamics of cancer cells in mice by luminescence of aequorin- expressing transformants.
In order to trace the in vivo dynamics of cancer cells, we introduced jellyfish aequorin cDNA into metastatic (A-11) and nonmetastatic (3LL) Lewis lung cancer cell lines. The transformants (e.g., A-11-4 and 3LL-24) remained highly tumorigenic when they were s.c. injected into C57BL/6 mice and the A-11-4 clone produced metastatic tumors in the lung. Luminescence produced by the expressed aequorin was detectable in these transformants in culture as well as in cells of primary or secondary tumors. The limit of detection of the aequorin assay was approximately 90 cells, whereas approximately 5 x 10(4) cells could be macroscopically seen as metastatic foci in the lung. Thus, the aequorin assay is approximately 500-fold more sensitive than macroscopic examination in detecting cancer metastasis.
Yoshida
R
R
Department of Cell Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, Suita, Japan.
Sanchez-Bueno
A
A
Tsuji
F I
FI
D000331:Aequorin / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division; D002470:Cell Survival; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D014170:Transformation, Genetic; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000331:Aequorin